Page 23 of Most Likely to Fear Love

A drawn-out moment followed. I couldn’t even hear her breathe.

“I’m sorry. I’ve offended you.”

I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment because she sounded so forlorn.

“No, you haven’t. It’s a reasonable assumption to make.” And yeah, Iwasrock hard and doing my best to pretend otherwise. “Do you trust me?

“Yeah, I do.”

“Good girl. So, turn all the lights off and go lie in bed with your hot chocolate. Lemme know when you’re there.”

I listened to her moving about the house, the click of light switches, then the whisper of what I could only assume was her sheets as she settled into bed.

God, grant me patience.

“Okay, I’m here.” Her voice was a touch quieter now.

“Good.” I took my mug and headed back to the living room, sinking onto the couch. Max and Buddy perked up from their spot by the fireplace, tails wagging hopefully.

I clicked my fingers and pointed to their mat near the door. “Go on, boys. Bedtime.”

They gave me twin looks of disappointment, but obediently trotted over to their designated sleeping area. Max circled three times before flopping down with a dramatic sigh, while Buddy simply plopped onto the mat, resting his chin on his paws.

“What was that?” Cassidy asked, curiosity coloring her tone.

“Just sending the dogs to bed. They were giving me the ‘please let us on the couch’ eyes.”

There was that soft laugh again. “Sounds like you’re a pushover.”

“Hey now. I’ll have you know I’m very strict.”

“Uh-huh. Sure you are.”

I leaned back, resting my head on the back of the couch. “So, comfy?”

“Mmm. Very. This was a good idea, Harle. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“So, uh. What are we going to do now?”

“We’re just gonna chat until you’re tired enough to go to sleep.”

“Well, that might not happen until, like, three AM, the rate I’ve been going.”

I shrugged, cursing under my breath when some of the hot brew spilled over. “I don’t have anywhere else to be. How about you?”

“No, me neither. Okay then. What are we gonna chat about?”

“Anything you like.”

“How about we play a little tit for tat?” I could already tell she was feeling better.

“How do you mean?”

“We take turns asking each other questions.”

“I’m game,” I agreed, settling deeper into the couch. “You can go first.”

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